Work Text:
“Do you, Edward Munson, take Stephanie, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?”
Hold on, we need to take a quick hop skip and a way the hell back to the beginning to understand how we got there.
Back to fall, 1984, near the end of the first semester at Hawkins high.
To understand how we got to a new beginning, we need to take a quick peek back to the first beginning, the prologue if you will.
-
Stephanie was digging through her locker to find the book she will need for class after lunch, finding it tucked in the back before shoving it into her bag and running off to meet Robin for lunch.
Stephanie had met Robin one day in the library, while she struggled to keep the words from moving around too much on the paper, Robin offered her advice and the two just clicked.
They got along like a house fire and it’s not a surprise that they’re now on each other like glue in the short months since they met.
As Stephanie entered the cafeteria, carrying her lunch bag that had sandwiches for her and Robin, she caught sight of the Hellfire club making their way to their table. They almost bumped her, and when she gave a polite ‘excuse me’ as she moved around them, the group scrambled to let her by, she turned to see them start snickering at Eddie Munson, he looked flushed and embarrassed and she felt her cheeks warm at the sight.
She may have fallen in terms of popularity but she was still beautiful and still had the effects she does on boys.
Eddie had always been respectful to Stephanie, if not a bit silly at times, and she knew he had to harbor some kind of crush since she saw him stumble and fall off a table during one of his many lunchtime rants about forced conformity and other things relating to the Satanic Panic going on after they had made eye contact.
Stephanie grew up with bible thumper grandparents and Robin came from a family of Bible Thumpers as well, they knew all about what he was talking about and agreed with his philosophy about conformity and the double standards regarding what people are interested in.
But Stephanie was aware that Eddie had feelings for her to some degree, but he’d never pursued her or made rude comments about her body when she didn’t look his way.
She already found him attractive in a less conventional sense, Robin suggesting that maybe she’d finally figured out her type now that she’s expanded her horizons beyond the jocks and silver spoon suckers. Stephanie thought whatever attraction she held towards Eddie was purely from his continued respect of her despite the fact that she had lost her original strength and power.
When the fuzzy warm feelings had persisted, she accepted that if Eddie was to ask her to go out, even if it was just out to Lovers Lake, she wouldn’t be opposed to saying yes with too much enthusiasm.
It was on this particular day in October, that Eddie Munson decided he was done running away.
Lunch was relatively quiet and chit chat was idle and contained, nothing was loud or rambunctious and seemed to be teeming with anticipation for whatever reason.
It was quiet, and everyone agreed it was too quiet.
When Eddie Munson had inevitability broken that quiet and hauled himself up onto his group's table, the crowd let out a breath of relief, tension broken.
Stephanie didn’t pay much attention when Eddie stood on the tables, not wanting a repeat where they made eye contact and Eddie fell and got a concussion.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t hear and when she heard Eddie loudly yell her name, she couldn’t help but look up to meet his gaze.
He jumped off the table and with the same amount of swagger he sauntered up to her, and took a knee, reaching into his jacket he always wore and pulling out a rose and presenting it to her.
Her face exploded with a violent red color and she couldn’t say anything.
Robin swore she could see steam rising from her.
Stephanie took the rose, and said a small thank you, bringing the rose to her nose and smelling it, fresh and still so fragrant.
“Would you be so kind as to grace me with a date? Movie? Dinner? A simple joint at the lake?” Eddie asked as he stayed in his kneeling position before her. She felt her heart pounding and could hear her blood rushing in her ears as she tried to keep her smile from going out of control, lest the man think she was laughing at his words. He looked nervous and was pale, almost sweating as he waited for her answer.
“I think a dinner would be a great place to start, if all goes well we can have some time by the lake.” She compromised, knowing it would put Eddie at ease if she suggested another activity afterwards, easing him into understanding that she wasn’t just looking for food from him, and that she did want to be around him.
“Shall we say this weekend? 6:30?” Eddie looked like a puppy as he brightened up and genuine joy sparkled in his big eyes. She had the urge to just kiss all over his face but restrained herself.
“That works for me, you know where I live?” She smiled as he took her free hand, pressing a gentle loving kiss of reverence to it as he spoke.
“Of course, until then my darling.” Eddie’s face turned red as he stood and stiffly returned to his own table, the boys he sits with cheering and congratulating him as he sat in his chair and buried his face into his arms, his ears still burning red to show his shyness about the situation despite initiating a very public display.
When Eddie glanced over, he found that Stephanie looked so flustered and was smiling, Robin and the other girls at the table giggled and squealed to each other. Stephanie held the rose close and smelled it every so often, a soft and fond look crossing her pink face as she took in the flower's fragrance.
Wayne had been growing roses, a singular rose bush to be accurate, and when he caught wind of Eddie’s confession plans, he’d cut one of his largest roses and gave it to Eddie to present to Stephanie.
“If she’s interested she’ll take it, and this one is the prize of the bush, it’s bound to be smelling sweet when you give it to her later.”
Wayne had assured Eddie that roses were a sure fire way to show a girl he was more interested in something long term, short term relationships with puppy love can be seen with something like daisies or something else dainty and fragile.
Eddie was glad she’d taken the rose.
-
The two went on their date, and in the glow of the setting sun over the lake, Eddie felt it was time to express his desire for a long term relationship, expressing that he wasn’t looking for anything that wasn’t serious.
When she’d returned the same expectations, they agreed to go on another date, then another, and another. They enjoyed each other’s company so much that when they ran out of things to do, sitting at the lake while Eddie played his acoustic and they shared a blunt was more than enough for them.
A few weeks had gone by when Stephanie brought up a study date, Eddie had told her about his track to not graduating yet again, but Stephanie wouldn’t let it happen.
While she did have dyslexia and could be kind of airheaded about certain things, she was still smart and turned out to be an excellent study buddy, helping Eddie make sense of it all, in ways that he could understand.
Applying D&D to his studies helped him immensely, and the occasional kiss for every correct answer also helped encourage Eddie along.
Stephanie kept the rose she was given for as long as she could before it started to wilt. She whined to Robin about it and the girl told her about drying the rose and keeping the petals in a glass jar for sentimental reasons. The first rose he’d given her.
So she did just that, and when Eddie found the jar, he nearly cried when she’d admitted to saving the petals from his rose.
Before the rose bush froze and the flowers died, Eddie gave her one of the last roses on the bush and Wayne gave her a home cooked meal.
The petals were soon seen in the jar as soon as the flower began to wilt.
-
When spring broke through the icy chill of winter, Stephanie was found in the Munson trailer more often than she wasn’t. Whether that was studying with Eddie, cooking and watching TV with Wayne, or to simply escape her parents, she became a staple part of the home over the winter.
One such instance, Eddie found Stephanie in his bed, he’d come home from band practice after Wayne left for work.
The girl looked relaxed and more comfortable sleeping on Eddie’s old mattress in a room that stinks of cigarette smoke and weed than in her large, plush queen mattress, in her big house that smells of lavender and clean linens.
Eddie left the girl to sleep, dropping a kiss to her head before quietly leaving the room to watch tv in the living room.
An hour into whatever was playing that day, Stephanie wandered out of his room and looked content…happy.
She met her boyfriend’s eyes and smiled, something soft and fond that nobody else has seen, before she walked over and crawled into his lap, nuzzling into his body and letting her long legs curl up so she’s much smaller.
She had once mentioned to Eddie that because she was really tall, a lot of the guys she dated got insecure about their own height before leaving her, and she explained that Eddie had never made her once feel like she was too tall, too long, too big, too much for him.
He in fact encouraged her to wear heels when she wanted, to wear shorts to make her legs seem longer, and encouraged her to just be taller than him.
When she curled up and let herself be held however, is when she feels the safest. After she helped in the rescue of Will Byers, Jane Hopper, and a couple of other victims from serial kidnapper Henry Creel, she had stopped feeling entirely safe.
She walked around for the longest time with a switchblade in her pocket, picked up fighting and self defense, anything to protect herself and ease her mind.
Over that winter, Stephanie had gotten a lot better with her fear, but it never truly left her, Wayne reasons that it’s anxiety and paranoia, trauma that won’t ever leave her no matter what, and it took Eddie pulling a knife on someone trying to grab her first for Stephanie to trust him to protect her if she’s in trouble.
The couple sat together and watched tv before Eddie made them grilled cheese for dinner.
Wayne found the two of them passed out on the couch when he got home that morning, Eddie on his back, hair in his face and open mouth snoring, and Stephanie’s head on his chest, hair everywhere, and drooling onto his shirt, the two wrapped up in each other and looking like a complex knot.
Wayne smiled as he made a sandwich and left the two of them to sleep.
It looked like a good sleep so Wayne didn’t want to disturb it.
-
As the finals season started, Stephanie was metaphorically, and sometimes almost literally, biting her nails off with nerves.
Dustin, one of the kids Stephanie helped save and had subsequently imprinted on her like a duckling, had helped the both of them study, doing flash cards with them and reviewing what they know and narrowing down what sections they needed the most help in.
Dustin had found that Eddie knew almost every bit of the material, had no issues with his mock tests, and seemed to take to new topics with ease.
It was only after intense questioning from Dustin that Eddie admitted he was originally scared to graduate, afraid of the future. If things were bad for him here, how could he brave the outside world all the same? While his biggest fear in Hawkins was the high school peaked jocks who can’t see beyond their noses, it’s the idea of facing the outside world on his own that scared him. He didn’t want Wayne to support him after graduation, or go into debt trying to get Eddie into college, but he was also scared to leave him. He didn’t know how to be on his own, didn’t understand the world the way he thought he did, and it terrified him beyond belief.
Stephanie calmed his oncoming panic attack, helping him breathe until he had calmed down. She held his hand as her and Dustin spoke.
“You’re not alone in this Eds, I’m gonna be there for you, and if you don’t want to leave Wayne, we’ll pick up some jobs around town and help him pay rent or buy groceries, he won’t throw you out so groceries could be the compromise if you want to stay.” Stephanie knew that Wayne was too sweet to throw Eddie onto the street after graduation, Eddie is practically his son and he’s too good of a man to do that.
“But if you want to leave, we can leave, your van is big enough and we’re bound to find some place to live away from here, and the van is still an option until then. But I’m going to be there with you, and I don’t want you to think you have to figure everything out on your own.” Stephanie was sincere as she smiled like her words were the best idea she’d ever heard. Eddie was dumbfounded by her words however.
“You mean that you’re willing to give up everything here, your big house, all that money from your trust fund, your chance to settle down and get a big family, you’re willing to let that all go to follow my ideas? Stephanie-” Eddie tried to fight her on this, he couldn’t let her future be compromised just because he doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life or where he wants to go. She couldn’t follow him.
“I am saying that and that’s been my plan since you walked up to me with that rose and treated me like a queen, Eddie.” Stephanie grabbed his face gently so he would meet her eyes.
“You’re not going to be alone. Even if I did still want a big family and to eventually settle down, those plans can be easily put off for the future when we’re ready to talk about it more.” Eddie did blush as the implications that Stephanie was planning to marry him, and have his kids one day when they’re ready, had processed in his overstimulated mind.
“And trust me, that big house isn’t a home, it’s as you said, a house. I want a home that has life and light, not something big and dull, and my trust fund was set up by my grandfather, once I turn 21 I get it regardless so you don’t have to worry about that, and even if my parents could take away my trust fund and inheritance, it doesn’t matter because I’m not a priss and I’m willing to get a job.” Stephanie had thought this through. If Eddie wanted to keep her, she would follow him anywhere, if he didn’t reciprocate her feelings on this matter, then she would simply move on. It would hurt like a bitch but she wouldn’t keep Eddie tethered to her when he didn’t want to be.
“Eddie, you’re very smart, and I know you can do whatever it is you want to do! If you guys decide to run away to wherever in the country with the clothes on your backs and whatever you can fit in the van, then you have my number and I can ask my mom or help you myself if you don’t know what to do! You’ve got people in your corner who know how these things work, you’ve got a girlfriend who can kick a grown man’s ass, and she has a trust fund in a couple of years if you guys just want to wait for that!” Dustin started to ramble, excitedly proclaiming that he will help the couple however he can, for a shrimpy little shithead he’s very resourceful and his mom loves Stephanie so they can help if they have questions.
“Eddie, you’re not going to do this alone, if you want to keep me through this, I’ll follow your lead. My home is wherever you go, and I’ll support whatever you want to do.” She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before turning back to her notes.
“Now enough with the sappy emotions, Henderson, explain this term to me.”
They’d already gone over that term.
As Eddie wiped away his tears and focused back to the present, he stopped worrying about the future. The what if’s and details can be dealt with later, for now he could only watch on as his girlfriend got scolded by her favorite anklebiter.
Seeing her act confused and like she didn’t understand what that word meant just to get on Dustin’s nerves, the light from the setting sun hitting her just right so that her freckles were more prominent, her beauty marks like stars or planets in the night sky, and her face so ethereal and happy, he felt his chest tighten up as those pretty hazel green eyes turned to him with a fondness he could never fully understand.
He felt it in her touch, saw it in her eyes, could taste it on her lips, could smell it in her perfume, could hear it in her laugh, it encompassed her entire being and made him burn. She was…
Beautiful.
His throat tightened up and the words wouldn’t leave just yet, it felt too soon, this warm suffocating feeling felt too much, but he knew it in that moment.
‘I love you, Stephanie.’
-
Nobody thought that Eddie Munson and Stevie Harrington would last.
People thought that she was screwing with him and wanting to make a fool of him. Even with her diminished power she was still a cheerleader and was popular in her own right without Tommy and Carol hanging off her like vultures.
So when Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson ran and swept Stevie up in his arms, making her squeal and scream with a smile that was splitting her face in two, people were extremely confused. The two of them weren’t seen together over winter break, and they didn’t talk much during the school day so it was safe to assume the relationship was dead.
But that happy smile and screeching laughter definitely wasn’t the result of a nasty and humiliating break up.
The few onlookers watched on with rapt attention, this was interesting and gossip like this was worth millions in the teenage world.
Eddie, after putting Stevie back down, brandished a marked paper. Stevie took it and after a moment of examination, she screamed and jumped into his arms where he proceeded to swing her around while they happily laughed together.
“Oh I knew you could do it! We gotta tell Dustin! We can order pizza tonight, on me? Oh my god I’m so happy for you!” Stevie started to kiss Eddie’s face as the older male laughed brightly and rested his hands on her waist, holding her close. The paper he’d shown he’d laid on the floor, forgotten in exchange for this moment.
In the heat of another burst of excitement, the paper was kicked down the hall and landed at the feet of one of Carol’s vultures who look for gossip anywhere and everywhere.
She picked up the paper and found that Eddie had passed Ms. O’Donnell’s final with an A, making his grade to graduate.
Stevie had plucked the paper from the girl’s hand before running back to Eddie, taking his hand and leading him out of the building.
It was a free period and if, after the bell rang, the entire student body noticed Stevie’s usually perfectly styled hair was messy, her legs trembling ever so slightly, and her neck now sporting a necklace of hickies, nobody wanted to say anything.
If they saw her with Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson’s arm around her waist, pushed just beneath her shirt to rest on bare skin, and holding her close as possible, a shit eating grin on his face and his own collection of hickies, nobody was going to say a word about it.
The rest of the day, Stevie was trailed by her boyfriend, draping his body over her at any given moment, plastering himself to her, and a subtle shift of hips or well placed kiss turned nibble to her neck made it obvious as to what the couple would be doing with their free time.
Wayne came home the morning after Stevie and Eddie’s free period romp in Eddie’s van to find the graded final on the fridge, and a peek into Eddie’s room found the couple naked and wrapped up together, covered by blankets where it was necessary, but it was obvious what they had been doing. Another quick peek and Wayne sighed in relief at the sight of a new condom package, and condom wrappers on the bedside table.
No need for any ankle biters of their own just yet.
-
Graduation day was…a lot.
The day started off rough for Stephanie, while she was fixing her hair, extra special for the day, her mom peeked into her room, seemingly drinking herself out of a hangover, said that Stephanie looked nice, and said she and her husband would be leaving now for their next trip and probably won’t see her in person until December at the latest.
Stephanie felt her feet fall out from under her, metaphorically speaking, her face dropped but she perked up and gave as much of a smile she could muster in the face of this disappointment.
It was more of a grimace but her mom was nursing a hangover so she probably didn't care. A moment later her dad was there.
“Stephanie, I want the house to be tended to like usual. Try not to be a shameful bimbette disgrace and get pregnant while we’re gone. I don’t need to come home to you with some lowlife’s kid.” That was all he said before grabbing his wife by the arm, and dragging her downstairs and subsequently out the door. Stephanie winced and felt her blood run cold at the word he’d used.
Bimbette. A slut. A stupid girl.
Shameful.
Disgrace.
She’d heard it all before but on such a day like this, meant to celebrate her academic achievements, being referred to as a stupid slut by her own father hurt and cut far deeper than every time he’d said that to her before.
She knew she had a reputation, one that was Carol and Tommy’s making, but the fact that her father, who was never really in town long enough to hear such rumors and words, had called her a slut and insinuated that she would get pregnant while they were gone was more than she could handle for that day.
Her hair was still in the process of drying and she hadn’t started her makeup, so she cried.
She let herself sob and scream in frustration and hurt, in anger and loneliness. Her father doesn’t care that what he’d said had hurt her, he never cared about her in the first place. Her grandparents took care of her for most of her young life, beating the virtues of a lady into her, before her dad had come back and taken her. He’d even told her that he didn’t like her, or love her, because she was a girl and not a boy.
He’d wanted a son. But after his disappointment that a daughter was born from his wife, he’d not try for a son with her again. Pulling other women into his embrace behind his wife’s back until she started to follow him everywhere he went.
When her heartbreak began to settle, she looked back to her vanity, a Polaroid of her and Eddie, Eddie and Dustin, Robin and Nancy, Wayne and Eddie, and Eddie alone was plastered to the glass. She looked at Eddie’s solo picture. He was playing his guitar, smiling at her, all teeth and dimples, and she remembered that this was their date after Eddie had passed his last final.
He sang to her and looked so comfortable that Stephanie had to take a picture to keep that moment with her.
She picked up her phone, a private line in her room, and called the Munson trailer. Hoping to ask for Eddie to come to her.
Wayne picked up the phone.
“Yeah?” The gruff voice was a bit much and made Stephanie wince out of reflex before she responded.
“Hi Wayne, it’s Stevie.” She sniffled as she recovered, hoping to not cry to the man who’s been like a father to her since she started dating Eddie.
“Stevie, what’s wrong babydoll?” Babydoll was his endearment towards her, My Boy was his endearment for Eddie.
“Uhm…I don’t know if I wanna talk about it right now…” Stevie talked to Wayne about a lot of things, he’d gotten protective of her and she didn’t need two raging Munson’s tracking down her father and killing him while he’s still in the state.
“You know you can tell me anything babydoll, but if you don’t wanna talk about it right now, I’m not gonna make you. If you’re looking for our boy, he left here not too long ago in a bit of a hurry. Had a feeling you were gonna call so he went on ahead to you.” Stevie felt better knowing Eddie seemed to just know something was wrong, and that he was on his way.
“Okay, thank you…uhm…Wayne…you’re…you’re still coming to the graduation later…right?” She was nervous asking this question for fear of being told something similar to what her dad told her.
Didn’t want to feel like a fool for getting her hopes up.
Even if she did feel silly asking such a question, her dad had truly struck her this time and she had to be sure.
“Of course I am, babydoll, why wouldn’t I…I’ll be there, for you and Eddie, cause both of you worked hard, and when we get home, we’re gonna grill and we’ll make some s’mores in the firepit.” When Wayne realized why she asked, he felt a curl of rage at the question, not the one asking, but at the one who made this girl feel the need to ask.
This was practically his boy's wife the way the two of them were going, she was as much his own and belonged in his home just as much as Eddie did.
He wouldn’t say more on the matter, just reassuring her that he would be there and that he’d be the loudest in the stands.
When Eddie’s music could be heard down the street from her house, Stevie felt much better and let Wayne go, he was prepping the house for their celebratory grill and firepit that evening.
She held the door open for Eddie, who ran up in a black button up and black pants, and his beat up sneakers, she smiled despite the swirling feelings inside her about her parents.
“Hey sweetheart.” Eddie greeted her with a gentle embrace and a kiss to her forehead, his touch calming her racing thoughts.
“Let’s get you all dressed up, okay? We can talk about it later.” Eddie kissed her eyelids, noting the puffiness, and took her by the hand to lead her back inside.
Eddie had asked to style her hair for the day in exchange for her doing his. He gave her a couple of braids to pull back and tie together to make a crown of sorts, helping tease the gentle curls to be softer and less stiff and pristine. Messy in an artistic way.
Stevie felt nice. She felt like she would be a rockstar's girlfriend and not a prissy silver spoon sucker, it felt freeing for there to be less product in her hair and to go a bit more natural. The feeling of her boyfriend’s deft musician fingers running through her hair so gently helped dispel any negativity that lingered from her parents abandonment and scorn.
As he fixed her hair, she started on her makeup, deciding to bolden up the look she was going for, making her eyes pop, a more glittery look with a sharp bit of eyeliner. She decided that if her parents weren’t coming there was no reason for her to play into the modesty that they’ve come to expect from her for whatever reason.
Eddie whispered his praises to her artistry, saying small things like ‘I like that color on your skin’ or big things like ‘if I wasn’t sure they’d chase me out with pitchforks I’d ask you to give me a similar look, sweetheart.’
When she was done, she removed her robe to pull on the dress she chose for the day. A soft yellow ruffle trim button shirred mini dress, it was going to be under her gown for the ceremony so it was mostly for afterwards, it was warm so it would be nice and airy later.
She stood in her underwear fixing the dress so it didn’t have too many wrinkles, and felt Eddie gently touch her upper back, his fingers were light to show he just simply wanted to touch her, but they weren’t low enough to insinuate that he meant this touch sexually.
She turned to face him, seeing his eyes firmly on her face, she took his hands and placed them on her hips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug.
“You’re beautiful, my dear.” Stevie blushed as he whispered that in her ear, his touch was reverent, and almost worshipful, and while she had been told the same thing before about her body, this was one of the only times where she didn’t feel dirty to have a guys hands on her bare skin and those words whispered into her ear.
He made her feel loved, and adored simply for just being, he never made her feel like his compliments had expectations attached to them, like he was only complimenting her to get something he wanted.
When they pulled away from the hug, Eddie helped her button her dress, and she felt so loved.
When she was dressed, Eddie sat down and let Stevie fix his hair, doing a braid that will sit on his shoulder so it’s not killing him in the heat and his cap will fit.
They take their caps and gowns and put them in the van, hopping in themselves before driving to the school to get ready. It was a couple of hours before the ceremony but they needed to get everything ready and have everyone accounted for.
Once they got there, things seemed to run more smoothly, avoiding drama by simply just following the teachers instructions on how to go about the ceremony.
The ceremony itself was a bit of a drag, a little fling for a few peoples taste, but when Stevie went to the stage to receive her diploma, she saw Wayne and he smiled at her. She felt his pride from where he wa sitting, and it was only after her name was called did she realize that all the kids she had saved and grew fond of were there with Wayne, screaming like they’d never been allowed to be so loud before, and Wayne’s whistle broke through the noise. She tried to keep her tears down until after pictures so she could get her makeup off, but her smile was so big that the newspaper would use it for the front page article about the ceremony, and nobody would know she wasn’t smiling because she graduated, she was smiling because she was loved.
Eddie’s turn went much of the same, with the little group of anklebiters that attached to him the same way they did Stevie screaming, the Hellfire group yelling, and Wayne whistling and clapping filled the space that polite clapping made.
Eddie, after getting his diploma in hand, did in fact flip off the principal and proceeded to almost fall off the stage, but what were they going to do? He graduated now and he could do what he wanted.
Once everything was said and done, a picture of Eddie and Stephanie, him holding her in the air and their lips pressed together, would become the picture that Wayne would have in his room, and in his locker at work.
He’d never seen two people more in love and more perfect for each other than the two of them.
-
Stephanie began to slowly move her things out of her parents house and into the Munson trailer, the two men encouraging the girl to take advantage of the long absence of her parents and escape. They would miss her 18th birthday, so she will be a legal adult by the time they return so they can’t force her to go back.
She looks for a job to help contribute, despite not being asked to do so.
While she had good enough grades to get into a college, she decided not to do so, and looked for work instead.
She and Robin found Scoops Ahoy in the mall.
Eddie found the record shop in the mall.
It worked out perfectly with their schedules, so they could go into work and leave at close to the same time.
Stevie wore Eddie’s guitar pick around her neck, and one of his rings on her hand, anyone who knows Eddie will know that he’s marking his territory, and Stevie thought it was cute, like a puppy.
Robin thought it was grossly possessive for him to be blatantly covering her in his stuff to keep people away from her, getting a short scolding from Stevie about being rude about people's interests.
“I just don’t get why you’re letting him be so possessive over you, you’ve never liked that in the past, I’m just confused.” And to be fair Stevie has always said she hated guys who were possessive over her, Tommy being one of the guys she hated the most.
“The difference is that he’s not being controlling, he’s not telling me who I can hang out with, where I can go, or what I can do. He’s not possessive in the way Tommy was.” And he really wasn’t.
Tommy’s form of being possessive included telling Stevie how to dress, how to do her makeup, and how to do her hair, he always had to be touching her and acting like a dog to keep people from even looking at her and it was annoying, especially because she was forced to drop any guy who was a friend because of Tommy getting jealous.
Stevie was always under his arm, holding his hand, wearing his jacket, and not by choice. He was marking her as property, not just letting people know she was taken.
Eddie may have put his jewelry on her but she still has her autonomy, and he isn’t barging into her place of work and trying to dictate who gets to talk to her.
“Besides, I can’t say I’m not a little bit possessive of him back. Someone could easily take him and I can’t let that happen.” Stevie reasoned as she tried to then dodge Robin’s questions about what she did.
Half her perfume was gone, covering Eddie’s clothes and shirts, and he has a lipstick mark on his neck from that morning, along with a couple of hickies.
But she wasn’t going to tell Robin that.
She would just be possessive in her own way.
Eddie loved his job, it was easy and he got to be around music he liked and get first dibs on new releases, the people who deliver throw in a couple of extras of every record for the employees if something interests them.
His collection has grown and he’s also helped contribute to Stevie’s collection as well, asking her if she’s waiting on any music when they get a new shipment in so he can snag some for her if it’s available.
Their collections share a space on Eddie’s now clean dresser, two milk crates they found, hers blue, his black.
Stevie is everywhere in the trailer now as she slowly moves herself out of the Harrington mansion, Eddie had felt bad and expressed that he didn’t like Stevie going from a life of luxury to living in a trailer park in a cramped space.
He felt like he had taken a lot from her when she moved in, Stevie had to hit him on the head with the magazine she was reading when he brought it up.
She scrunched up her face and gestured to the living room where they were sitting together.
“You think I would trade this…this life and love and a home just for a big empty mansion where I’ve been alone for years at this point? There’s nowhere I’d rather be, and you and Wayne already said it was okay for me to be here so you’re gonna have a hard time getting rid of me, Bambi.” She spoke frankly, before returning to her magazine, snuggling up into Eddie’s side as she did so, still offering him comfort but making him realize his worrying is over nothing.
Bambi…her favorite movie that they’ve seen together.
She told him that his big eyes reminded her of Bambi, soft and sweet, and he blushed so hard that she could feel the heat radiating off of him.
Her presence was a welcome one in the trailer, it took a bit for the two men to get used to a woman being there, but she’d made the space much more comfortable and after she cleaned up one day while she was alone, it had stayed rather clean since then.
She liked to make lunch for everyone, making Wayne food for when he woke up for work, and leaving leftovers for when he comes home in the morning.
The men were actually starting to fill out and look a bit healthier now that Stevie is making sure they don’t just survive off of snacks and one full meal a day.
Working at the mall has its ups and downs, both Stevie and Eddie had stupid schedules until they negotiated with their respective managers, explaining that they have a ride waiting on them by the end of shift and they cannot stay unless it was previously agreed upon for them to stay a bit later than usual.
On one such night, late June early July, the movie Back To The Future was showing in the movie theater, so Stevie and Robin agreed to stay back and offer ice cream to anyone who exited the movies. It was the hottest part of summer and offering ice cream was a great business idea, especially to customers who are dying from the heat.
Eddie had come to kiss Stevie goodbye, they had prepared for these few nights of the movie showing in advance, so Eddie had leftovers at home waiting for him, and he would come back to get her an hour after the last showing let out.
That’s how the night was going.
Until all hell broke loose.
Stevie didn’t remember what happened, all she really remembers is serving a kid a banana split while Robin rung up the next customer, and suddenly there was screaming, and panicking.
Then it was hot.
Stevie started to usher people out, asking Robin to lead them to the door while she checked the theater area she yelled for everyone to get out, yelling fire because something had erupted into a blaze and was setting the mall on fire.
Her kids were there, she took them and held them close in the panicking crowd, trying to make sure they all got out safely.
“Lucas!” A little girl screamed as she got pulled away into the crowd and nearly trampled. She was scared and the fire nearby illuminated the terrified tears in her eyes. Stevie saw Robin and pushed the group towards her, and ran to the girl, Erica if she remembers correctly. She picked her up and held her close, calming her down and making sure she was safe. They got pushed to the back of the crowd and she could hear multiple voices screaming her name.
Fire blocked her path, everyone else was gone but she was stuck.
“Shit…” she cursed as she turned back, get away from the flames, it’s too hot.
She and Erica began to cough from the smoke before Stevie realized that Scoops has a hallway that leads to outside.
Outside was chaos, people screaming and scared, yelling for their children, their friends, trying to see if everyone got out alive.
Some people were burned, bruised from being trampled, bleeding from hitting a wall or a sharp point, but nobody was dead.
Robin was consoling Lucas who was crying and wanting to go back for his sister, but they could see the fallen beam on fire in front of the entrance, no way was anyone getting back inside.
Robin cried too, because if nobody can get inside, nobody can get out either.
When the chief of police and the fire department arrived, it had been too long and now most of the mall was engulfed in flames.
“Is everyone accounted for? Anyone missing?” Hopper asked Robin as the rest of the officers combed through the crowd to check on injuries and check if anyone was missing.
“S-Stevie and E-Erica are still-still in there…” Robin cried as she held Lucas, who sobbed softly as the rest of the group held on.
Eddie, who had been on his way to pick up Stevie, had come across one of his worst nightmares.
The mall was on fire, and he couldn’t see Stevie anywhere in the crowd.
He threw the van in park and jumped out, frantic as he still couldn’t spot his girlfriend.
“Stevie?” He yelled, his cry accompanying those of mothers calling for their children.
“Stevie?!” He felt panic creeping up on him, the longer he couldn’t see her the more scared he felt.
This could be true this couldn’t be true this couldn’t-
“EDDIE!” He heard a shout that he followed, it was Robin, she was holding onto Lucas and the rest of Stevie’s anklebiters.
Her face told him enough, he felt his legs give out from under him, his knees hitting the pavement before he curled over and started to cry. He felt his heart breaking as he cried out sobs of pain.
She couldn’t be gone, she couldn’t be. What about the plans they made? Their plan to move away and live for themselves.
After a few minutes, he’d calmed down and took Robin into his arms, Stevie was part of them and now she was gone.
“Guys? Hello? Is anyone there?” They could hear screaming from near the loading dock.
A minute later, Stevie came running up, holding onto a little girl, covered in soot, ash, and some scrapes on her legs.
“Oh fuck, guys, thank god you’re okay.” She looked relieved and started to cry herself.
“Erica?” Lucas cried when he saw the girl tucked into Stevie’s neck.
“Lucas!” Erica cried as she turned to face the group, her own face dirty with soot and ash. Stevie put her down and she ran to her brother, the siblings crying and holding each other, happy that the other was okay.
Stevie had a second before Eddie crashed into her, crying and hyperventilating as he pulled her into his tight embrace.
“Stevie!” Eddie sobbed as he pulled back and started to touch her face, checking for severe injuries, and just reassuring himself that she’s here in his arms, alive.
“Eddie…” Stevie cried as she felt her boyfriend start peppering her face with frantic kisses. The two of them were soon embraced by the rest of the group, Robin shoving her way in between the couple to hug Stevie tightly.
Another car came to a screeching halt and out jumped Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler, the pair worked for the town newspaper and it seems like they got a call about the mall.
“Nancy!” Mike yelled at the same time that Will had yelled for Jonathan.
The two seemed shocked to see their brothers running up to them, covered in ashes and smelling like smoke.
They went into older sibling mode as the ambulances pulled into the parking lot, paramedics starting treatment and oxygen.
Stevie and Erica did need to go to the hospital for small burns, smoke inhalation, and Stevie’s leg scrapes.
The two took separate ambulances, Lucas shoving his way into Erica’s, and Eddie trying to climb into Stevie’s.
“Sorry, family only.” The paramedics weren’t going to let him in, he needed to go with her, he couldn’t exactly say he was her cousin or something. And he was afraid to leave her.
“I’m her brother! Please, I need to go with her!” Dustin cried as he climbed into the ambulance, he turned to Eddie, telling him frantically to drive the van to the hospital and meet them there.
Eddie took Robin and Max with him to the hospital.
Mike and Will, as well as Jane Hopper, all stayed behind with Nancy and Jonathan, who were taking statements from the uninjured, and pictures of the roaring blaze.
All the statements came out the same, Stephanie Harrington had taken charge and encouraged everyone to run and keep running.
She wouldn’t remember it but she had encouraged people to carry those who couldn’t run, for people to pick up kids and keep going, even running back for a little girl who got shoved away from her brother even at the risk of getting stuck inside.
There were injuries, as to be expected from a sudden fire spread, but no casualties and everyone was now accounted for.
Stevie was the hero of the evening.
-
Wayne had worked at the plant long enough that while he wasn’t exactly getting promoted, upper management for his shift understood him and knew he was a reliable worker.
When his supervisor had run to his station, telling him to go to the hospital for a family emergency, Wayne ran. Barely taking time to change out of his work uniform before grabbing his keys and running to his truck. People cleared the path for him as he ran. He was a man on a mission.
Wayne knew he was the emergency contact for two people.
His babydoll and his boy.
One or both of them, something was wrong.
As he pulled into a parking space, Eddie’s van screeched into a parking position as well.
Eddie himself had jumped out of the van and started towards the entrance before Wayne yelled at him.
“Eddie!” He called, faint fear was coursing through his body as he saw the dried tears on Eddie’s face, his boy had been crying and his babydoll was nowhere in sight.
“Wayne!” Eddie answered as he went to his uncle, Wayne pulling him into a hug, the boy started shaking in his arms before Wayne started to calm him down.
Robin came up and explained what happened. The fire, the crowd, and Stevie getting slightly injured.
The one kid, Max, who had come with them explained that Dustin was able to get into the ambulance by claiming to be Stevie’s brother.
“I thought about it while on the drive over here, but it’s easier to get into an ambulance or a hospital room by claiming you’re family. Plus we are her family so it isn’t exactly a lie.” Max spoke as she tried to get her bearings. The fire was a lot and she would need to call her mom to come get her at some point, but she really wanted to make sure that Stevie was okay first.
“We probably don’t want to do that, Wayne is her emergency contact so they won’t keep her from us.” Eddie placated the girl, knowing she wanted fast updates on Stevie.
With the group together and calmed down slightly, they entered the hospital. Dustin was in the waiting area with a blanket over his shoulders, and snacks and water.
He called the group to him, giving the water and snacks to those who wanted some, and giving them the situation.
Stevie had an adrenaline crash on the ride over, she blacked out but she should be fine, they have her on oxygen, but they want to keep her overnight in case her respiratory distress gets worse, she’d most likely be discharged in two days if all goes well.
Using the phone, Dustin and Max called their respective parents, and waited to get picked up. When they checked with the nurse, Stevie was sleeping but was showing positive signs.
Eddie handed Dustin off to his mom when she’d shown up in a flurry of panic and distress, the boys calming her down that Dustin wasn’t injured, just dirty and traumatized for the time being.
Dustin regaled his mother with the tale of Stevie’s bravery, and Claudia had taken Wayne’s hand, smiling so gently, a grateful, tearful thing, and told him that Stevie has her thanks and that if she needs anything at all, Claudia has her covered.
The Sinclair’s had met with Eddie and Wayne in the lobby, Erica would have to stay as well but they were running home for changes of clothing, and they did much of the same.
Making the Munson men promise to thank Stevie for saving Erica and Lucas, especially Erica.
When Max’s brother Billy had rolled up to the hospital, Eddie greeted him to hand Max over.
Billy looked a little panicked at the ashes and the smell of smoke coming off of the girl, but calmed when he realized she wasn’t injured, telling Eddie to give him and ms. Mayfield’s regards and thanks to Stevie for her heroics, after Max had explained what happened in small details.
Eddie simply nodded and saw the two of them off, leaving the Munson men in the waiting room.
When the nurse came to tell them that Stevie was awake and okay for visitors, Eddie asked to see her. They warned him that she would be a bit groggy and sleepy before they brought him to her, Wayne leaving him to fetch the group clothing for Stevie’s discharge.
When Eddie was let into the room, Stevie was sitting up and smiled when he made eye contact with her.
She was relaxed and seemed much cleaner than before.
“Hi baby…” she croaked with a smile as Eddie came to sit at her bedside. She shuffled over and he was moved into the bed to hold her close.
They talked for most of the evening and fell asleep together.
Nobody had the heart to bother them if it wasn’t truly necessary.
-
The release from the hospital happened with little fanfare, thankfully. Stevie just had to be monitored and come back if she’s having any breathing problems and it should be fine.
Returning home to their beds, the little family of three simply collapsed and fell asleep.
Workers who lost their jobs from the fire were compensated with a year's worth of their salary, just so they can start job hunting again and for general compensation. Stevie and Erica however, after a strong case by Mr. Sinclair, who was a lawyer, were given individual compensation for emotional trauma and the injuries they suffered as a result of the fire.
With that settled, Stevie finally sat down with Eddie to discuss their future plans now that the year for saving went up in smoke, no pun intended, with their jobs.
They agreed that they wouldn’t use the compensation money they received and instead look for new jobs for the time being, they needed work and they needed to save.
Eddie, through a friend of Wayne’s, got work in the auto shop as an apprentice, while it didn’t pay a lot Eddie was promised a full time position as a mechanic once he finished his training.
He already knew enough about vehicles from Wayne, and his own van, that it wouldn’t be long until he was a full mechanic.
And Stevie and Robin found themselves working in Family Video, Stevie able to secure the job by answering Keith’s question about her favorite movies. Eddie had given her a list to choose from, and she chose the animated film Lord of The Rings from 1978, Back to the future, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi as her favorites. A mix of older films, newer films, and a series film.
Keith seemed impressed, especially when she answered trivia questions about each film.
Like what type of car was the time machine in Back to the Future? A DeLorean
Who wrote the Lord of the Rings Novels and how many are there total? J.R.R. Tolkien, and technically there’s six; but the books were published two at a time so there’s three physical copies with two stories, Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return of the king.
And her favorite creature in Star Wars was the Ewoks.
With that they were secure in employment once more.
-
Stevie was completely moved out of the Harrington house by that fall, none of her personal belongings were to be found in her childhood room. When the elder Harrington’s had come home to find the key and the note Stevie left, they came knocking.
Robin had reported that the Harrington’s had come pounding on the Hagan’s doorstep and loudly yelled for Stevie.
When Tommy had come out, home for a break, he told the Harrington’s that she wasn’t here and he hadn’t spoken to Stevie in a couple of years, ‘83 to be specific.
Everyone in town had known about the explosive breakup of the trouble trio.
But the Harrington’s obviously didn’t know that.
Robin, who lived beside the Hagan’s, had watched the parents fight about Stevie’s whereabouts, and due to her observations, Stevie was able to tip Hopper off that if a report of her being kidnapped or gone missing comes up to obviously not worry about it and that it’s fine.
Sure enough, he had called the Munson trailer and told Wayne that the elder Harrington’s had filed a missing persons report for Stevie.
The case was never opened after the Chief explained that Stevie hadn’t been in the home in months and had moved out while they were gone. He knows because he had helped her sell some of her clothes she couldn’t and didn’t want to take with her.
They wanted to file the report anyways but Hopper wouldn’t take it.
“She’s a grown woman, has been for years, the only difference is that she’s legally grown so I don’t have to tell you where she is or file a missing person report on a person who isn’t missing.” Hopper had growled at the couple. Stevie has lived alone for years at this point, and overlooking her little rough patch with the partying, she had taken care of herself for just as long.
He knows that she is with the Munson men, and if he can keep these people from stepping on a pair of lion’s tails and setting them off, all the better.
They kept looking for her and all Hopper could do was warn Stevie that they were looking and just let things unfold as they will.
Stevie never hid herself or tried to conceal where she was living, it took far too long for her parents to find and follow her to the trailer, so she was confirmed in her suspicions that they weren’t expecting her to have a job and live in the trailer park.
When she got home from work, she was alone for a while, Eddie not off of work just yet and Wayne heading in, she got dressed comfy, Eddie’s shirt and a pair of his shorts, she pulled her hair up into a messy bun, not wanting to deal with it for the moment. She was making herself a small dinner when she heard another vehicle pull up outside, there was no loud engine, no rumbling of loud music, and no squealing of worn brakes. She sighed and resigned herself to getting into a fight.
She lit a cigarette before stepping outside, confirming her parents suspicions that she was there.
She simply smoked on the porch and stared at her parents car, her dad’s shiny black Royce beside her now less than pristine Beemer.
Eddie should be home in about 10 minutes based on her watch, so she was just going to let this play out however they wanted it to.
If they want to say something then they’re gonna need to get out and come to her because she’s not going to them.
It was maybe a couple of minutes, long enough for Stevie’s cigarette to burn a little over halfway, before her dad angrily exited his vehicle. Her mom seemed to be unable to keep her head up so she’s not getting out of that car anytime soon with her lack of balance.
“Stephanie.” Her dad growled threateningly, she did flinch minutely at the tone, it promised pain and suffering if Stevie became submissive and lost her nerve.
Her dad wasn’t all talk, he was capable of hurting her and her defiance would only make him flustered, frustrated, and raise the degree of rage being pointed in her direction. She had to keep as calm as possible to not only placate the man to keep him from putting hands on her, but also stand her ground and not let him scare her into getting into his car and going back to that house only to be abandoned again.
“Richard.” She responded as she continued to smoke her cigarette, giving him attention while feigning nonchalance and inconvenience, the same way he would speak to her any time he came home and she was still his biggest disappointment.
The man went on and on about her throwing away everything she was given, Eddie’s previous fears about her privileges and luxuries being voiced by someone wanting to make her feel guilty for those things.
Talking about how he works hard to give her everything but she’s the bitch for not appreciating it and listening to everything he says. Blaming her mother for Stevie’s general existence, blaming Stevie’s decision to leave home as a streak of teenage rebellion and childishness, and blaming the Munson’s, claiming that Stevie was brainwashed or, god forbid he screamed, impregnated by Eddie.
She let him talk, let him bark and let his face turn red before he ran out of breath.
“You done? You’re scaring the neighbors and making a scene.” She spoke on an exhale of smoke from her new cigarette that she lit while he ranted.
He nearly started again before he was cut off by Stevie’s words.
“You’re such an embarrassment, coming here so late in the evening, kicking up such a fuss like an emotional woman, by god they should lock you up in Penhurst for such a vulgar display.” She mirrored her father’s own disappointment and exasperation that he’d always shown her when he had to be in the vicinity of her.
He had called her an embarrassment, called her reasonable concerns and complaints about being left behind, emotional outbursts, used her gender to shame her emotions and claimed she needed to control them, and even threatened to institutionalize her when she had expressed behavior that he considered unseemly.
He turned bright red and shouted again about her disrespect and her childishness. She simply smoked her cigarette and tried to keep from losing her nerve, the edge she had, the leverage over him couldn’t slip or he'd take advantage of it.
She had to hold out long enough for one of the neighbors to call the cops, or for Eddie to get home. But she did want this resolved before her boyfriend got back or else there would be blood on someone’s hands.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t planning to play out like that.
Eddie’s van had rumbled up to the trailer, the brief distracted relief broke her from the stand-off with Richard Harrington, giving him the chance he needed.
He grabbed her by the wrist and roughly pulled her to him, making her stumble down the steps and almost fall, she hissed in pain as her bare feet hit the sharp gravel, she pulled back, trying to resist, she could hear Eddie getting out of his van, his voice shouting angrily, in the distance she could hear police sirens, and then-
Then she heard nothing.
A sharp backhand to the face had shocked her so much, and it was so strong that all she could hear was ringing in her ears, and her face slowly blooming in pain.
She stumbled with the force of the slap, feeling tears spring up to her eyes, she had never been hit in the face before, always her body where she could hide the bruising, but never the face where anyone could see and ask questions.
But now, she assumed, now she had shown true defiance and resistance against her father, and now he didn’t care what anyone would say, as long as he got his point across and punished his misbehaving daughter that he hated for being a daughter.
Her hearing slowly started coming back, and as it did, she was laying on the ground, curled up in a ball, her long hair, knocked out of her scrunchie, pooled around her face and head.
And she could hear Eddie screaming.
She closed her eyes and waited for it to be over.
Eddie pulled up to a scene, and he could feel his blood rise to a boil very quickly.
He jumped out of the van when he saw Richard grab Stevie by the arm and try to force her into the car parked beside Stevie’s own.
“HEY!” He shouted, he could faintly hear the sirens in the distance coming that way, and wanted to hold out until the police showed up, before his heart dropped and he started to see red.
Richard had grown irritated by Stevie’s struggling to get out of his grip and had backhanded her, sending her full body reeling, she seemed to lock up, frozen by what just happened and started to go limp, getting dragged for a moment as she fell before Eddie ran up and started to punch and scream at Richard.
He dropped Stevie, trying to get a swing in at Eddie, but he got a punch to the throat and a kick to the crotch for his efforts, Eddie threw him to the ground as he tried to get control of his breathing and the pain, and pressed him down, pinning him to the ground and continuing his screaming.
“YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO TOUCH HER AGAIN, YOU PIECE OF SHIT, DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU’RE LUCKY YOU'RE NOT DEAD!” As those words left his lips, Jim Hopper had placed a calming hand to Eddie’s shoulder, the younger male jerking and trying to get up to throw hands again, but calmed when he saw it was the chief.
“What happened Eddie?” He simply asks as the man calms down, he doesn’t answer and rushes to Stevie, Hopper following as the other officers cuff and watch over Richard and his wife Helen.
“Stevie?” He spoke softly to her, trying to bring her back, her body was stiff and rigid, locked in that fetal position and her eyes blown wide and glazed over with unawareness. Her hair was slightly in her face but it wasn’t enough to hide the blooming mark on her face from Richard’s hand.
As the two of them tried to get Stevie to talk to them, a couple of neighbors walked up, women wrapped in their robes and concerned looks on their faces. One of the officers on scene had asked if any of them had seen anything, anything at all.
A couple of neighbors who were watching because of the yelling, wanting to make sure Stevie and Eddie weren’t the ones fighting, explained what they could see.
“I’m the one who called, officer, I saw what was happening, I live right over there.” Ms. Mayfield, who had moved into the trailer park with Max and Billy after she divorced Neil Hargrove, spoke shakily as she walked up nervously.
She had a slight fear of men after what her now ex-husband had done to her, so she was trying to be brave for Stevie.
Ms. Mayfield explained what she saw, saying she heard a car pull up that wasn’t Eddie’s van, and had to make sure everything was okay, knowing that Stevie was currently alone.
She’d watched and called as soon as the man started shouting at the girl, only breaking away from the window when the man slapped Stevie.
She had a panic attack and once she had calmed down and saw that the police had handled the violent man did she feel safe enough to come out.
With enough witness testimony to back up the violence, and Hopper’s note that the couple were stalking Stevie, the two of them were taken in to get booked.
That was going to be a rough battle.
“Eds?” Stevie slurred as she started to calm down, she had tears rolling down her face, and her cheek was swollen and red, likely bruising would form in the morning.
Eddie pulled Stevie in close, the girl tucking into his arms and crying into his chest, the rest of their neighbors giving the couple privacy and walking away as the cops loaded the Harrington’s into their cars, and Hopper went inside to call a tow truck for the older couple’s car.
Stevie’s feet hurt, it was cold, and she was tired.
Eddie picked her up and brought her inside, finding that Stevie had been making a sandwich before Richard arrived.
He made her a new sandwich and one for himself. He sat them down in the living room on the couch, and the two ate their sandwiches, they would need to go to the station in the morning to give their testimonies.
As stevie drifted off to sleep, Eddie put her to bed before going to call his supervisor, he would call Keith in the morning, but he knew he couldn’t go to work after what happened.
He hoped his boss understood.
As the phone rang, Eddie nervously twirled the phone wire, hoping he wasn’t too late to catch the man.
“Hello, this is Herringbone Automotive Services, we’re currently clos-” John Herringbone, the owner and Eddie’s boss had luckily picked up.
“Hey! Mr. Herringbone, it’s Eddie.” He was nervous, he’d never called out of a job before and didn’t want to get in trouble.
“Now, boy what are you calling me for after you just got off of your shift?” The man grumbled, he wasn’t a mean man, he was actually quite nice, and he was very respectful when he met Stevie when she’d come in for a quick tune up on the Beemer.
“Uhm…I hate to do this to you, especially during my training period but…I’m not gonna be able to come into work in the morning…” Eddie hated having to say it but he knew he wasn’t leaving his girlfriend when she was going through this. She was going to be a mess in the morning, and he needed to keep her from shutting down.
“Is everything alright? It’s not Wayne is it?” Herringbone was an understanding man and wouldn’t drag this out if he didn’t need to.
“No he’s fine, it’s uhm…Stevie’s dad found her tonight…right before I got home and…he hit her.” Eddie tried to keep his voice calm, he was already boiling with rage under the skin he couldn’t let it bubble out towards someone who didn’t deserve it.
“That son of a bitch put his hands on your girl? Does Wayne know about this? Where is that Harrington bastard, the boys and I will gladly kill him for her, you know they will.” And Eddie did know that.
After Stevie had brought baked goods to the shop for the workers, she’d become a favorite, knowing she was Eddie’s girlfriend made the teasing go up, but they all encouraged him to propose before she made a run for the hills. She was so charming and sweet that these men saw her as a daughter, she was so kind and they were willing to go to great lengths for her.
Even killing her good for nothing father.
“He’s in police custody right now, so there’s no need at the moment, but I needed to let you know…nearly beat him myself but she needed my help. I pulled the van up just in time to stop him from almost kidnapping her and Ms. Mayfield called the cops. The chief has enough evidence to hopefully lock them up, but if he gets out of there, and I mention it to you, you’ll deal with it?” Eddie knew he couldn’t outright condone or encourage violence, but if the man happened to get a slip or just a small throwaway comment about the Harrington man escaping conviction, then he’s got plausible deniability.
“In a heartbeat. Take care of your woman, Edward.” John bid him goodbye, with promise his missed time won’t affect his training and the guys will understand as well, Eddie hung up and called Robin next.
She was, to be expected, extremely upset and wanting to rush over, but Eddie assured her that everything was fine, Stevie was safe, and her parents were arrested. He asked if she could cover for Stevie and talk to Keith since the man seems to like Robin a bit more than Stevie.
Robin promised to cover the shift and talk to Keith in the morning, he may not be Stevie’s biggest fan but he’ll understand if Robin drops some subtle hints about her parents.
With that settled, Eddie went to hold his girlfriend, she nuzzled closer to him in her sleep and seemed to relax when his grip on her tightened.
-
When all was said and done, the Harrington’s did escape jail time, but Stevie and Eddie had managed to finalize a restraining order against them, they weren’t allowed within 100 yards of her, and if they made any contact at all, at her place of work or in the safety of her new home, they would be in violation and could go to jail, no matter who they know or what money they had.
Wayne, John, and the other guys at the shop, had to be convinced to not hunt down the Harrington’s afterwards. However the Harrington’s were barred from Herringbone Automotive, and wouldn’t be serviced.
-
Months go by, and now it’s time for spring break, the kids in their freshman year are more bratty than ever with demands for rides to and fro every other day by Stevie or Eddie.
The two of them agree to not have kids until they’re in a house because these kids make them rethink anytime they want to try for a kid.
Eddie had stopped dealing when the kids started high school, knowing he now had a stable job, he didn’t find the need to sell weed anymore.
He had his own personal stash that he and Stevie dipped into every so often, but selling was off the table. Especially after he’d gotten his permanent position at the shop.
One day while elbow deep in a new car with a faulty fuel line, he was approached by a girl.
“Uhm, excuse me?” Her meek voice called, startling him and making him hit his hand. He hissed and cursed, shaking it out and trying to not cry. He had calluses and wasn’t weak or fragile, but sometimes things just hurt really bad.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” The girl squeaked as Eddie jumped around to make the pain die down, John yelling at him from across the garage to stop being dramatic.
When the pain did die down, he turned to the girl, her face contorted with worry and nervousness.
“Sorry, shit that hurts, what can I do for you?” He asked as he rubbed his hand with his thumb, massaging it to hopefully dispel any remaining discomfort.
He recognized her after a second, Chrissy Cunningham, recognized by the pretty blonde hair up in a ponytail, green scrunchie holding it together, the pretty shade of blue eyeshadow smeared over her eyelids, and the cute chipmunk teeth. Very much princess demeanor, which makes sense considering the senior is now Queen of Hawkins High, having been promoted from princess when her predecessor, Stephanie Harrington, had graduated.
The girl didn’t speak for a moment, fidgeting with the hem of her white sweater over her cheer uniform for a moment to gather her thoughts.
She looked anxious, Eddie could see the nervous sweat metaphorically beading on her brow as she struggled to find the words.
He took her outside the shop for some fresh air, and they talked.
She had been going through a lot, and she admitted that she wasn’t doing the best mentally and needed some…relief, so to speak.
“I heard that you don’t sell anymore…but if I could just buy some of your personal stash it would mean a lot, I just need help sleeping and relaxing.” She seemed skittish, like she was ready for Eddie to tell her no and to chase her off.
But Eddie could recognize her mannerisms.
A reflection of Stevie’s…
Someone with bad parents held to incredibly high standards, with the public eye on them at all times, and the need to be perfect…
So he didn’t tell her off for asking to buy when he didn’t sell anymore.
Instead he invited her to the trailer that night to smoke in the company of friends, and Stevie could help get through to her, help save her.
“My girlfriend will be home when you get there, she’s at work right now, but if you just tell her that I told you to come over, she’ll let you in.” After the girl left, a piece of paper with Eddie’s address in hand, he went to the office to call Stevie.
“Hello, family video, this is Stevie, how can I help you?” Stevie answered with very little enthusiasm, it was the slowest part of her day so she was bound to be bored.
“Aww is that how you answer the phone sweetheart?” Eddie cooed jokingly, a couple of the guys laughing or groaning at him, they’d gotten used to his theatrics so it no longer phased them.
“Hey Eddie, what’s up?” She giggled into the receiver, no doubt starting to twirl her hair mindlessly, as Robin has exposed that habit.
Robin could be heard retching in the background and Stevie hissed at her to be quiet.
Eddie told Stevie about Chrissy, the girl was immediately sympathetic and said she would keep an eye out for Chrissy when she got home that evening.
Eddie hoped everything would be fine, it should be.
Everything was not fine.
When Stevie got home, she dressed down into one of Eddie’s larger band shirts, and his boxers, throwing her hair up as she started a small dinner, it was a meal she’d perfected to gain weight after she’d collapsed one day a few years ago.
It was deceiving and could trick her mind into thinking it’s not going to hurt her, but it would help her slowly put on pounds without gaining it all at once. Eddie had eaten this meal before and because he liked it so much, he hadn’t noticed himself gaining weight until he no longer looked like a twig and his body filled out to a healthy weight.
Stevie knew the signs of eating disorders, and knew Chrissy was probably dealing with one. Her memories of the little blonde from school consisted of holding her hair back while she got sick before cheer practice, rubbing her back while she got sick at random increments of the day, and how she looked terrified of a candy bar and would never eat one or take one when offered.
So this should help her level her weight out, and if they find the root of her disorder, find whatever is bringing it on, even if Stevie probably already knew the answer, then it could help her.
Stevie didn’t want to scare her either so her portion was put in a large bowl so it looked smaller than what it was.
Sometimes it kills Eddie to see her on bad days do these exact steps.
Large cutlery and dishes for normal portions of food to help her eat it.
Those days were few and far between now but they still happened.
Stevie was happy with where she was, regarding nearly every aspect of her life now that she was free of her parents. The last thing on her list to be completely content is to move away from this town, her and Eddie, find a place somewhere, even if it’s in Indianapolis, to live and breathe together.
She didn’t care where they went as long as it was away from Hawkins.
Stevie had the thought that maybe it was a good thing that she and Eddie had hung around long enough for Robin to graduate high school, she didn’t want to leave without her, and maybe they could bring Chrissy with them, save her from being ruined by her parents.
Stevie was brought out of these thoughts by a frantic knocking on the door, it was small like it didn’t actually want to be noticed.
Stevie opened the door and Chrissy looked surprised to see her.
“Stephanie?” She asked in surprise, Chrissy had never frequented Scoops, or went to rent her own movies so she didn’t even know Stevie was still in town.
“You can just call me Stevie, come on in, I made food.” Stevie welcomed her in, keeping her body language loose and relaxed, encouraging Chrissy to settle in.
“You can put your bag down, sit on the couch, relax, Eddie’s getting off work soon then he’ll be here.” As Stevie had directed her, she grabbed the food and presented it to Chrissy, the girl looked nervous as she picked up her spoon to take a bite as she settled in.
Stevie didn’t start eating before Chrissy, turning on the TV and trying to find a movie for them to watch.
She kept a close eye on the girl without blatantly staring, only taking bites after she did and never before.
The two were settled in silence as Chrissy started eating her bowl of food.
“This is amazing!” Chrissy exclaimed brightly, the taste was amazing and it was warm too, it just warmed her insides and didn’t feel heavy to eat.
The two started talking, matching bites of food, and before Chrissy even realized it, she had finished her bowl, she didn’t feel full in the sense she was going to burst and felt like she needed it out, but she did feel satisfied, her hunger settled for the time being and her stomach no longer screaming at her or aching.
“I’m going to wash the dishes, you don’t have to but there’s enough if you want a little more.” Stevie said as she stood and took Chrissy’s bowl with her own.
Chrissy paused and checked herself, she didn’t feel gross or disgusting for having eaten the food she was offered, but she didn’t want to push it.
“I’ll put you some aside for later, the boys will eat all of it if we aren’t careful, you can eat it next time if you want.” Stevie saw the confliction on Chrissy’s face in regards to the food so she decided for her. If Chrissy couldn’t eat the rest next time the two could share.
It also stopped Chrissy from thinking too much about the food she’d eaten.
Stevie put aside two bowls of the food, one for herself because she felt it was rude to keep eating in front of Chrissy even though she wasn’t full yet, and one for Chrissy if she did want some more.
She washed up the bowls and by the time she had Eddie’s bowl ready, he was trotting into the house, strolling up to Stevie and hugging her from behind.
Chrissy watched with big eyes as the couple interacted so easily.
Stevie didn’t look nervous, her smile and affections to her boyfriend weren’t forced, and she didn’t look scared to have Eddie touching her.
Eddie himself wasn’t touching Stevie to claim her, he was touching to touch and feel her, he didn’t look smug and like he’d won some kind of prize as he looked at Stevie, he looked at her like she was some kind of goddess or higher being deserving of worship.
Worship. Devotion.
Chrissy could see how much the two loved each other just from this interaction alone, the domesticity of it made her heart flutter. She wanted this kind of love for herself.
It was all encompassing, suffocating to some, but beautiful all the same.
The two sat down with Chrissy, Eddie eating his food quickly as Stevie talked about her day at work.
People who had seen Back to the Future were coming to Family video asking about the movie and Stevie had to explain more than enough times that the movie isn’t available on VHS yet, and a lot of people were put on the notice list for when the movie arrived and was available for rental.
She sighed that she was stuck on restock duty again because of Robin, that the girl was hung up on another crush of hers and just followed Stevie around talking about it and not helping properly.
“I mean, I love her to death, she’s my platonic soulmate after all, but Jesus she’s gotta learn when to stop hanging everything she is on one person she barely talks to outside of their shared activities.” Stevie loved her friends, loved hearing them talk, but she sometimes got annoyed by it especially when it just carried on and on in an endless circle going nowhere except right back to the beginning.
Dustin and Robin had a slight problem with brushing off every attempt Stevie would make to help them make a plan to woo their respective girls, and circle back to saying it was hopeless.
It did annoy her that they cried to high heaven and low hell that they needed help and felt hopeless but ignored her attempts to actually help.
Lucas was the only one who actually came to her for advice, listened, utilized that advice, and succeeded.
Stevie was a girl, she knew how girls feel and she’s in a long committed relationship, she knows what does and doesn’t work in a relationship.
She appreciates that at least Lucas was willing to listen to her to fix his problems with Max, and not end up in a dumpster fire of a relationship like El and Mike. Stevie loved El to pieces but she had terrible taste in men and Mike was just a little shit who took too much after his dad.
She needed to have an intervention with them at some point.
But back to Chrissy, who seemed much more relaxed than when she first arrived, less tense and jumpy.
The group talk for a bit until Stevie and Eddie put away the leftovers for Wayne and cleaned up the kitchen.
Eddie went to his room and grabbed some of his weed, some pre rolled joints that he and Stevie share sometimes.
The two of them helped Chrissy smoke, making sure she didn’t take too much at once, start hacking up her lungs, or get too high too quickly.
They wanted her to have a good time and not have a bad trip, so it was a nice and easy, albeit slow, process to get her where she wanted to be.
Eddie and Stevie had a higher tolerance so they weren’t too far gone, unlike Chrissy who was comfortably curled up in Wayne’s recliner and giggling at nothing, when there was a knock at the door.
Stevie stood to answer it, uncaring of her appearance because she’s in her own home.
When she did open the door she came face to face with Jason Carver, Chrissy’s boyfriend, captain of the basketball team, and King of Hawkins.
He looked infuriated, red in the face, and a murderous look in his eyes. Stevie wasn’t scared of guys like Carver who believed the bullshit their parents shoved down their throats, but she was scared of guys who would make that face like he was going to bash her head in.
She could recognize that look from her own dad.
“Where is he, the freak, where is that son of a bitch?!” He shouted into Stevie’s face, not recognizing her for a moment, too blinded by rage looking for someone. Based on the stories that her freshman were telling her about Jason’s relentless bullying of the Hellfire group in Eddie’s absence, as well as daily interrogation of Gareth, Jeff, and Grant about Eddie’s whereabouts, fully believing Eddie to have skipped town by now.
Eddie did spend time with Hellfire as the occasional DM on his weekends, but due to conflicting schedules that didn’t happen too often. Other than that and his band practices, and performances at The Hideout, he didn’t really see many people because of work.
At that moment, he seemed to remember himself and he went pale, the red hot anger draining from his face so fast as he looked Stevie up and down, not even being subtle that he was checking her out, he cleared his throat as a new pink hue took over his cheeks.
Stevie sneered at him, he had a girlfriend, everyone in town knew she and Eddie were practically married, and he’s still trying to get with her?
She slammed the door in his face and went to get Wayne’s shotgun. Loading it and walking back to the door when Jason started knocking again, throwing it open and aiming the gun right in his face.
This was a stand your ground state, the law would keep Stevie safe if Carver was brave enough to admit he was harassing them.
“Get the fuck out of here. Now.” Stevie commanded, gesturing for Jason to take his leave and get off the porch.
The porch was part of the property and the stand your ground law was able to be enforced if someone entered the home without permission, which included the porch.
Jason growled like a mangy dog as he stepped down the porch and angrily stalked off to his car which did have a couple of his friends inside, to which Stevie kept the gun held up and aimed at the vehicle until it was out of sight.
After unloading the gun and putting it away properly, she went to Eddie’s room, where he had moved Chrissy so she didn’t hear any shouting or hear Jason’s voice. She was confused and almost panicked before Stevie came into the room, perfectly fine, and she calmed down slightly.
The three enjoyed the rest of the evening, Chrissy being put to bed when her eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer while Stevie and Eddie fell asleep on the couch together.
A single night of freedom was all it took to get the ball rolling in breaking Chrissy free from the crap she had to put up with for so long.
She joined the little group and started loosening up at school and around her friends. The change was small and subtle but people who knew her knew it was a big step, people worth keeping around didn't treat her differently, but those who commented on her changes and seemed to look at her with disgust when she chose comfort over style, or chose to sit with the “freaks and weirdos” and talk with them like they’re friends, those people who reacted negatively were kept at arm's length away from Chrissy.
She was now part of their little family.
-
It was now time for the class of ‘86 to graduate.
Celebration was in order and everyone in the little group was invited to do so.
Out near lovers lake, the group grilled and chatted, playing music and dancing, it was a night of fun and relaxation, the entire group planned to camp there for the night since it was now summer break and everyone got permission.
When the kids went to sleep, the older kids ducked into the woods with their respective partners, and found themselves alone, buzzing with the excitement of the evening and high on relaxed vibes while the kids were sleeping and the parents were busy sipping wine.
Stevie knew that the actual adults, consisting of Wayne, Joyce, Hopper, and joyce and Hop’s weird friend Murray and his partner Alexei, were all plugging up their ears and sipping wine and beer and smoking cigarettes by the dock as far away from the woods where the teenagers were making out and possibly having sex.
Stevie felt Eddie’s lips on her neck, the gentle touch before his stinging, claiming bites into her flesh made her shiver as his teeth sunk in, leaving a bruise to form later, she whimpered at the sting before pulling his hair to pull him back in for more.
She was pressed up against a tree, one they nearly had to fight Robin and, surprisingly enough, Nancy over to claim as their spot for debauchery for the evening, she was practically lifted off the ground as Eddie’s thigh was shoved between her legs beneath her skirt, leaving her core to grind against his tight denim, her toes being the only thing keeping her up as Eddie tried to make her one with the tree or meld their bodies together. She was wearing his leather jacket, a cut off corroded coffin shirt that belonged to Eddie, and a black skirt, she wore a pair of Eddie’s chunky boots to tie everything together and Eddie was dying to get under her skirt in more ways than one.
He dropped to his knees after kissing her breathless and shoving his tongue down her throat, sliding his head up her skirt nuzzling her damp panties, his nose bumping her clit and sending a zap of pleasure through her body as her pussy quivered at the attention. Eddie reached up and started to pull her underwear off, getting one leg out so she could be spread before diving back in.
Stevie moaned as Eddie licked at her folds, his own huffs and sound of pleasure making her tremble as she started to grind against his face, his hands gripping her ass cheeks and encouraging her to use him to get off. He suckled her clit and she almost screamed, her hands shot down to grab his head and keep it in position, her hips were moving just so and Eddie was enjoying every moment as his beautiful girlfriend used him to reach her own pleasure.
She hadn’t even realized she was so close until her orgasm washed over her, surprising her as all thoughts suddenly escaped her.
She sagged against the tree to catch her breath, she was pretty loud, her moans and squeals were typically quite loud, it wasn’t her fault that Eddie was so good with his mouth and always got her off first and last.
As she caught her breath and Eddie simply rested against her leg under her skirt, sending her into slight trembles as his breathing inadvertently pleasured her sensitive cunt.
Her brain practically melted out of her ears anytime he got his mouth on her, any time he pleasured her actually because he was so good at it.
She reacted a bit slower than she would have normally if she was coherent when she heard a twig snap followed by a sharp surprised gasp.
“Who is that?!” She growled, irritated to be interrupted from her post orgasm haze, pushing Eddie’s head further under her skirt in frustration, managing to pull a bit of his hair in the process making him whimper, forgetting that it was a thing he liked.
“Oh my fucking God.” Stevie rolled her eyes at Robin’s dramatics as she rubbed Eddie’s head to sooth where she pulled and to make him feel better.
He gripped her thighs tightly, visible from where he was hiding under her skirt, giving a downright filthy slurp as he started back up again, going feral and making her nearly squeal before she batted him on the head and made him stop.
“What the hell, Robin. What is it?” Stevie whined petulantly as Eddie gently licked at her opening.
“Sorry, I was just trying to find a spot, didn’t know you were here specifically. I didn’t want to see that at all, please get him out from under there, actually, now that I think about it I probably don’t want to see that, Chrissy come on let’s go find a different spot away from these Dinguses.” Robin rambled as she covered her eyes and blindly reached for Chrissy’s hand, the girl looking a bit ruined as her lipstick was smeared and her hair sex tousled.
“Yeah go on, get out of here, wanna fuck my boyfriend’s face in peace thank you very much.” Stevie groused as she felt Eddie’s tongue push into her slightly, giving her a slight shiver at the feeling.
The two walked away and when they couldn’t be heard anymore, Eddie gave one last lick to her folds before standing up.
Robin swears to this day that the entire woods could hear her screams and moaning.
Stevie couldn’t face Joyce or any other adult afterwards. Looking them in the eye again without shame would take months.
Eddie was too proud of himself to feel any shame despite the disappointment on Wayne’s face.
-
It was summer time, about late June again, and Stevie and Eddie sat down to talk.
It was time to discuss their move.
Stevie had been talking to Jonathan who moved out to California right after graduating. He’d told her about the house out there that was perfect for her and Eddie to get started and was well within their budget. It was a long way to go but there was more opportunity there for both of them.
It seemed like a smart move, especially considering how Eddie brought this up to his boss to warn him that he’s probably going to be quitting, and he said he had a friend who ran an auto shop out near where the house is, he could recommend him to work. The guy, Bob Davidson, was always looking to hire to fill in for high profile clients.
Eddie thanked him and asked for him to keep a hold of that until he and Stevie decide what they’re going to do together.
Jonathan had talked to Stevie before he moved, he told her that, from the perspective of a photographer, she was a natural in front of a camera. And encouraged her to look into modeling.
He’d helped her build a portfolio, taking professional photos for her if he could keep copies for his own portfolio for college. She agreed and a few days later, Jonathan presented beautiful prints of Stevie. There were posed shots, full body, bust and up, and side profiles that really captured her essence. Jonathan also revealed the pictures he’d taken while knowing Stevie. Natural photos where she’s smiling and happy, or just being herself.
Jonathan also gave a copy to Wayne, a natural photo of Stevie and Eddie that they didn’t know was taken.
They were sitting together, Eddie’s arm over Stevie’s shoulders, her body tucked gently into his side, and the two of them just relaxed in each other’s presence.
They looked so happy and Jonathan said he couldn’t walk away from such a beautiful sight without capturing it first.
But Jonathan helped her build a portfolio, and she’d gotten offers for modeling in the past, so it was worth the risk to go out to California and try her luck in the industry.
If it didn’t work out she was fine with working at a mall or a fancy store. Her upbringing made it so that she’s able to understand and handle the rich people who are likely to frequent those stores.
With that, the couple made a plan and started looking into their finances.
It was time to move on from this town.
-
Stevie knew that while Robin was her other half, she couldn’t follow her everywhere. Robin was her own person and needed to blossom into her own beautiful version of herself.
She fully intended on putting distance between herself and Robin so the girl could fly just like her namesake. While Stevie was happy on the ground watching her go.
Imagine her surprise when, after telling their small family about their moving plans, Chrissy and Robin said they were taking a gap year and would be attending the college nearby together.
Stevie was happy to know that the stars had aligned for her and Robin and the universe obviously wanted them to stay close, she didn’t have to make the heartbreaking decision to leave Robin behind.
The kids were sad but Stevie reminded them that she was a phone call away, and that she would visit when she and Eddie got the money to do so.
She was still their Party Mom, and Eddie was still their Party Dad, nothing has changed it’s just that now there will be some distance between them all.
Stevie and eddie, with help from Wayne since they denied his help for the actual house payments, flew to California to look at the home and when they found that it was indeed perfect for them, they put a down payment on it, and decided to move in by Winter.
The home was finishing renovations so they would have time to casually drive there after packing their belongings.
-
And so it was time to leave, if they drove for as long as possible they could possibly make it in a week or a few days.
Packing up the van and saying goodbye to everyone, the couple hopped into the van, Stevie having sold her Beemer for a large sum, and they drove off.
When they reached the town limits and saw the “come back soon” sign, they pulled over and hopped out, taking a picture of the two of them together in front of the sign, to remember when they left Hawkins for good.
And they drove off.
-To be continued in Sweater Weather-